1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

maladjusted

adjective

Definition of maladjustednext
as in unbalanced

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of maladjusted For the blessedly unaware, gooning is when maladjusted young men consume immense, overstimulating amounts of pornography and masturbate for hours on end to reach some kind of transcendent release. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026 An elderly man, adjusting to the recent death of his beloved wife, meets a brilliant yet maladjusted teenager in a cemetery. — The Know, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025 Nothing spoils a Sunday afternoon outside with the family quite like your youngest child being carried off by a horde of maladjusted howler monkeys. — Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025 So what lies ahead for the most maladjusted characters in the entire TGIT lineup? — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for maladjusted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maladjusted
  1. unbalanced
  2. disturbed
  3. upset
  4. agitated
  5. unhinged
Adjective
  • Studies show that, without shorebirds, coastlines erode more quickly, trap less carbon, and are more likely to become unbalanced.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • If they’re left in storage for too long, their flavor, aroma, and structure can fade or become unbalanced, even if the bottle has never been opened.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unbalanced
Adjective
  • Instead, a not-elderly man a few rows away—perhaps even more disturbed by the tale of Phyllis’s downfall than I—became convulsed in a seizure.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The fact that Salazar killed Clinkunbroomer was not in dispute, but his defense attorney and family said he was deeply disturbed at the time, hearing voices that told him to kill himself.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • An upset win would not have redefined Miami as anything but a team taking necessary steps up from the foot of a mountain.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
  • First elected in 2020 in an upset race, Raman is running close to Bass in the Mayoral polls, and has seen an uptick as the campaign has kicked into post-summer high-gear.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset
Adjective
  • Migratory birds in captivity develop Zugunruhe, an agitated fitfulness, at certain times of year.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).
    — Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • Other highlights include Billie’s (Lucy Freyer) fixation with feeling young, Julian Manjerico’s return as the absolutely unhinged Zack-Carlos and a brilliant penultimate episode about casual use of the C-word (hey, the British do it).
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • When an unhinged ex-patient returns to his care and is chosen to headline the practice’s first-ever cabaret night, the fallout is immense.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhinged

Browse Nearby Words

maladies
maladjusted
maladminister
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maladjusted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maladjusted. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aggrandize

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All